Jason Kenny

Track cyclist Jason Kenny, 24, is part of a strong Great Britain team expected to top the velodrome medal table in London. A fifth-place finish in the individual sprint at the 2008 World Championships in Manchester was Kenny’s debut at the top level, and he was rewarded with a place in the Great Britain team sprint squad for the Beijing Olympic Games. Alongside Chris Hoy and Jamie Staff, the team broke the world record in the qualifying round of the event and beat a strong French team in the final to claim Olympic Gold. Second only to Chris Hoy’s Olympic record in qualifying for the men’s spring head-to-heads, Kenny beat highly-rated Kevin Sireau and Maximilian Levy to reach the final, where he lost out to compatriot and team sprint colleague Hoy. Awarded the MBE in the 2009 honours list, Kenny beat Hoy for the first time at a major championships in 2011. Third fastest in qualifying at the 2011 World Championships, Kenny sprung a huge upset in sprint cycling when he beat Hoy in the semi-finals, and although he lost to Gregory Bauge in the final, the French rider’s subsequent ban from the sport saw him stripped of the title and awarded to the British youngster. The 2012 World Championships saw Kenny continue to improve, beating Hoy in the first two races of their semi-final before losing out to the returning Bauge in the final. Competing alongside Hoy and Philip Hindes in the team sprint, the British trio will be favourites for gold in the event, while Bauge Mickael Bourgain of France will pose the strongest threat to the British riders in the individual sprint.